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D.A. Henderson, M.D., MPH
University Distinguished Service Professor
School of Hygiene and Public Health
The Johns Hopkins University
With congressional interest on the rise, NIAID will be encouraged to fund grants studying basic research of organisms used in bioterrorism, such as plague and anthrax. Council heard a sobering presentation on the subject from Dr. Donald A. Henderson, distinguished service professor, Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health, who is known for his leadership of WHO’s global smallpox eradication campaign.
The Senate Subcommittee for NIH appropriations held a hearing on June 2 on the nation’s capacity to deal with bioterrorism, and government is gearing up to meet the threat. The Defense Department is slated to spend $300 million to train national guard units, the FBI is adding new agents, and the President announced that we will stockpile vaccines and antibiotics for civilian use. Dr. Henderson told Council that our society is ill-equipped to diagnose, characterize epidemiologically, and respond to biological weapons, whose needs converge with those of emerging infectious diseases. Much needed are better surveillance, a better network of laboratories, diagnostic tools, and trained health professionals.
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